The Ninja and the Wolf
by Kusari-Gama 61602
Summary: Storm Shadow and Timber meet for the first time, but Timber doesn't like his pack position threatened and Storm doesn't like having an animal around at all times. On a side note, Snake-Eyes is not that great of a mediator.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** More of this soon. This will probably be a short story. Expect strange jokes and the occasional bad word. Again, suggestions for grammar or sentence improvements are welcome.

* * *

There was a certain thing about solitude, Snake mused, that made someone that much more receptive of their surroundings. It made sense, really. Humans naturally seek interaction, no matter how introverted they are. Interaction in its most preferable form was with another human being, but some - like Snake-Eyes - were content with nature. That was why he was perfectly content to go to his cabin rather than with Shana to visit her family. They were nice and hospitable (with the exception of her sister and, on occasions, her mother), but he had decided it was about time he saw an... old friend again.

He paused in his chewing to listen intently. Everything around him seemed amplified; the chirping of birds, the music-less whistle of wind through the trees, and the whining of a hungry wolf.

Correction: the whining of a _ravenous _wolf.

Timber's tongue flicked out, and a drop of drool fell to the ground. He shifted restlessly on his paws, whining softly. His eyes were glued on the piece of venison steak clutched between Snake's chopsticks. His whining increased in volume and urgency when he saw yet another piece of that delectable meat disappear into his Alpha's mouth.

Snake-Eyes chewed slowly, keeping a wary eye on Timber. Although the wolf was as loyal as any dog could be, he was still a wolf. If he so much as dared to steal a morsel of food from the ninja's plate, Snake would have to consider it a challenge and make it very clear that he, and only he, was the Alpha, which meant he got to eat before everyone else did, loyal friend or not.

Fortunately, Timber appeared to understand that, although it didn't stop him from begging. He tried all sorts of methods, ranging from approaching slowly with his belly near the dirt and his tail tucked between his legs to resting his head on Snake's lap and looking mournfully up at him. The latter usually worked with Shana, who would take pity on him and slip him a piece of meat, but it didn't work squat with Snake-Eyes.

Timber yelped when Snake squeezed his muzzle with his fingers in a 'nip'. The wolf quickly backed off, circling anxiously for a while before approaching again, as low as he could possibly crouch. Once he was close enough, he rolled over, exposing his belly. His posture and the sad, sad expression in his eyes seemed to say, "Kill me now, oh Great and Powerful Alpha."

Snake-Eyes sighed. He bent down and scratched behind the wolf's ears to show his acceptance of the apology. Timber panted happily and straightened himself before resuming his never-ending worship of his master's food.

As soon as the last piece of his lunch disappeared, Snake reached behind him and pulled the cloth off of a plate heaped with chunks of raw deer meat. Timber's tail wagged wildly, and his ears perked. Drool began flying from his mouth at an increased rate.

Snake-Eyes took his plate and utensils and walked away to the sound of Timber tearing hungrily into the meat. On the way to the lake, he grabbed two buckets and filled them with water once he got there.

Sand made an excellent replacement for a sponge or steel wool when it came to cleaning cookware and plates. Snake scooped a handful onto the plate and used it to scrape any remaining bits of steak off. He cleaned the knife and the chopsticks the same way.

Eating with a knife and chopsticks did feel strange, but chopsticks were easier to make than forks were, and he had no shortage of knives. Of course, the knives were made of cheap metals. He refused to even think about using a respectable steel blade on something as trivial as cutting food.

He dumped the sand back into the water, and waited. Not long after, the water boiled with fish coming to feast on the scraps. Snake watched carefully, and at a precise moment, thrust his hands into the water.

A medium-sized fish soared through the air, wriggling, its body a line of silver, before landing in one of the buckets with a splash. It swam in tight circles, confused, before settling. But not for long.

A second fish landed in the bucket, startling the first one, and then a third. The other bucket was also filled with three fish when Snake finally stopped. Satisfied that his catch should cover dinner, he carried the buckets back and set them where Timber couldn't reach them.

Timber wasn't there when he returned, something that didn't normally worry him. The wolf came and went as he pleased. He was, after all, a wild animal. But what triggered Snake's suspicion was the leftover pile of deer meat. Snake kneeled and inspected the meat. It wasn't rotten, didn't have bugs, and he had caught the deer in the morning. It wasn't like Timber to leave sizeable chunks of food just sitting there where any carnivorous animal could get to them easily. Not unless he had a _really _good reason to...

A long howl confirmed his predictions. _Intruder!_ Snake ran into the cabin and set the buckets down roughly, disturbing the already agitated fish. His mask slipped soundlessly on, and he grabbed his sword on the way out. Effortlessly, he melted into the shadows and began sprinting towards the source of the howl. His heart pounded and his mind raced as he pictured the worst-case scenario, and he picked up his pace.

* * *

This was stupid. So stupid. And it was probably one of the more embarrassing predicaments he had ever found himself in.

Storm Shadow sighed deeply and shifted so he was more comfortable on the branch. Below him, a large wolf growled ferociously as it repeatedly lunged at the trunk, prompting showers of leaves. Its jaws snapped loudly with every jump as it tried again and again to grab onto one of his feet. "Down, stupid animal," he grumbled. "I don't feel like wasting my time on you."

He remembered hearing of his brother's pet timberwolf from Scarlett and seeing pictures of him with the creature. So, as much as he wanted to put an arrow through the wolf's heart and silence him, he didn't want to kill what could be Snake-Eyes' pet.

He flinched when the wolf threw back its head and howled again, loudly, giving away his location. "Goddamnit!" he growled. "You'd better be Snake-Eyes' wolf or you're in for a world of pain, my friend."

And with that said, Storm turned around and climbed higher into the tree. The wolf momentarily stopped barking, probably surprised to see a person climbing like a squirrel. Once he had settled in his new spot, he took his bow and notched an arrow - just in case the wolf attracted unwanted attention.

Then, he closed his eyes and tilted to his head, listening. He could hear light, fast footsteps approaching. Storm strained a little, and soon detected a heartbeat. A very familiar one.

His relieved smile disappeared when the wolf decided to place both front paws on the tree trunk and bark straight up at him. "Shut UP, won't you?"

Timber yelped and jumped several feet into the air when an arrow embedded itself in the ground near him with a _thunk!_ He stared in shock at the feathered end before attacking it with all his might, easily snapping the arrow into pieces.

Storm seized the opportunity. "Snake-Eyes!" he called out. "It's me, Tommy! Get your stupid wolf away from me!"

The sound of footsteps slowed down and became more relaxed, much to Storm's relief. He really didn't want to be on the receiving end of one of Snake's hard tackles. He could dodge it, of course, but not dropping to the ground where the wolf was would add a whole level of difficulty to the situation.

A minute later, Snake-Eyes materialized from the shadows and rested a hand on the wolf's head. The animal went from growling bloody murder to pressing its head against Snake's leg and making joyous whining noises in less than a second.

"… You've got to be kidding me." Storm rolled his eyes. "Timber, is it? This is Timber?"

Snake raised his hands. _[Hello, Tommy. Yes, this is Timber. What are you doing here?] _

"I was sent by Hawk to investigate possible Cobra activities a few cities over. My search ended earlier than expected, and transportation doesn't arrive until tomorrow evening. I remembered your cabin was close by, and I didn't feel like stealing a key for a motel room, so I thought I'd swing by to have a look and maybe stay a night, if you would let me." He pointedly frowned at Timber, who managed a growl before Snake 'nipped' his muzzle again in a warning to behave.

Snake gave a small sigh. There went his plans for a human interaction-free leave. Oh, well. At least Tommy was good company. Besides, he had wanted to introduce the white-clad ninja to Timber for a while. _[Of course you may stay.] _He paused._ [How did you find me?] _

"Easy - I asked the locals where the 'werewolf with the strange tattoo' lived, and they pointed me in the general direction." Tommy climbed down to the branch just out of Timber's reach and stretched out lazily on it. "Then Timber found me."

_[And... chased you up a tree.] _

"Hey, don't be mean. I know better than to try outrunning a wolf."

_[You. Chased up a tree. You, one of the few people in this world who can make Cobra Commander wet his pants, chased up a tree by a wolf.] _

Storm Shadow leveled a glare at his laughing sword brother that should have vaporized him. Snake-Eyes remained disappointingly in one piece. "Ha, ha. Very funny. At least I'm not whipped by a crazy redhead."

_[A _beautiful _crazy redhead.] _Snake was still laughing.

"Fine. Whatever you say." Tommy eyed the wolf by Snake's side. "So, how does this guy make friends?"

Snake recomposed himself quickly, walked over to the tree, and easily swung up onto a branch near him. From below, Timber made an agitated noise until Snake silenced him with a whistle. Storm observed the interaction with interest until he noticed the black ninja looking at him.

"... What."

Reaching over, Snake took ahold of Storm's white mask and yanked it off of his head. Then, strangely, he rubbed it against his left forearm. Before Tommy could ask him if he had gone insane, he tossed the mask back at him and dropped to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Storm demanded as he watched Snake approach Timber with his left arm out. "Are you trying to get him to bite you?"

Snake ignored the man and let Timber sniff him. Initially, the wolf thought that his Alpha had done the unspeakable by walking away from a fight with an intruder. But then he detected his Alpha's scent mixed with the strange male intruder's, and with no trace of blood. No fight. The two obviously knew each other. Alpha wouldn't be so friendly to him otherwise.

Timber snorted and shook out his head. So there would be another male in the pack. Bummer. He didn't mind, as long as the new male knew that he was Omega.

Snake stood up. _[You can come down now, pussycat.] _

Frowning, Storm slowly lowered himself to the ground. Timber growled, only to be gently whacked by his master. Tommy froze. "I swear, brother - if he so much as lunges for me, he's a dead wolf."

_[I know, but he won't. Trust me.] _

"I trust _you_. I don't trust _him_." He landed without a sound. Timber's ears flattened against his head and he bared his teeth in warning as Storm walked towards them. In a move that many would consider foolish, Snake clamped a hand over the wolf's muzzle and squeezed. The canine directed his glare at him, obviously showing his displeasure, but eventually hid his teeth behind his lips and trotted off, probably after a rabbit he heard or smelled.

Tommy watched the animal go and visibly exhaled. "Anyways..." He looked directly at Snake-Eyes. "I would like to see this cabin of yours."

Snake smiled beneath his mask.

* * *

Special Thanks to Greentigerr for her usual help.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Timber attempts to put Storm in his place... Proceed/Read with caution. No offense was meant with this chapter.

* * *

_Whoosh! _

_Thunk. _

Two pieces of wood went flying. Storm Shadow paused to wipe the sweat from his brow.

_Whoosh! _

_Thunk. _

Two more pieces joined the growing pile of firewood. After a moment of counting, he nodded to himself in approval. He kneeled and set the axe on the chopping stump, with the cutting edge closest to him, and began sharpening the blade.

His ears picked up the heartbeat of his brother a while after he had finished touching up the axe. Tommy stood up and waved at Snake when he emerged from the surrounding trees. "I see your hunt was successful." He eyed the two rabbits in Snake's hand. "You know, I could have done the hunting. I would have loved to, even."

_[You don't know the geography well enough,] _Snake signed with one hand. _[Magical ear or not, I don't want you getting lost. Then I would have to get Timber to find you, and you don't want that.] _

Storm snorted. "Liar. You just wanted to show off your hunting skills."

_[That could also be true.] _Snake's mask creased as he smiled.

"Every man has his ego bubble." With a casual toss, he embedded the axe in the tree stump. "Speaking of ego bubbles, I'm still indecisive as to whether I should compliment your cabin or nitpick it to bits."

_[Compliments would be nice. It wasn't easy to build.] _Snake produced a knife from nowhere and began skinning the rabbits.

Storm grabbed a nearby towel and began drying his torso off. "It's impressive, considering that you gathered the materials and built it yourself. It's a pretty good cabin, too. Tough, made to last, and in good condition. There are no leaks, and I didn't feel a draft inside."

His sword brother gave a nonchalant shrug, but Storm could still see his smile.

"It's a bit small, though."

_[Big deal. I made it to house one person - me.] _

"Always the loner, aren't you?" Storm caught the twig Snake threw at him.

_[I didn't want company at the time.] _Snake paused before signing, _[When did you get that?] _

"Hm? Get what? And you're changing the subject."

_[That.] _He ignored the comment and pointed at a small scar on Storm's arm. _[I don't think I gave you that.] _

Tommy frowned and stared at it. "... I don't know." He lightly ran his thumb across it. "Looks like a knife made it." His eyebrows furrowed. "I can't remember..."

The loud snapping of fingers drew his attention back to his brother. Snake-Eyes shook his head and made a tossing away motion with his hand.

"My mind is stable." Storm's voice was sour. "I'll survive looking into the past."

Snake only shook his head harder. No. Too soon. Wait a little longer. Thanks to the Brainwave Scanner, a few of Storm's memories of being in Cobra were in bits and pieces. The commando knew that facing the unknown and acknowledging the past could be sources of strength, but he preferred that his brother not strain his mind so.

It was foolish thinking, but he wanted Tommy's unpleasant memories to fade with time, never to be remembered again. Wounds don't hurt until they are acknowledged, and as far as he was concerned, he didn't want his closest friend to look back at the wrongs done to him.

"Hey."

Storm's voice broke Snake out of his thoughts. The Arashikage heir pointed at the rabbits. "You're done."

Snake looked down. Sure enough, the rabbit skins were set aside, with their paws cut off. Organs were set where Timber couldn't reach them. All that was left was the meat and bones.

"Never mind me and my psyche." Storm slipped his shirt on and walked over. "What about you?"

_[I'm fine. Just a little worried about you.] _

"Well gee, thanks, mother." He rolled his eyes and punched Snake lightly on the shoulder. "Cut it out, _gaijin._ My mother's been long since dead, and I haven't needed one since."

Snake returned the gesture, leaving a bloody print on his guest's sleeve. Storm made an indignant noise and started protesting, only to be cut off when Snake-Eyes picked up a rabbit and indicated for him to take the second one.

Somewhere in the woods, Timber sniffed diligently at the ground, in the middle of tracking a squirrel, when he picked up a different scent. His ears perked and he lifted his nose to the air. Yep. That was definitely a meaty scent. A delicious, mouth-watering meaty scent that could only come from one place.

He made the connection. _Food! Hot food! Yummy food! Alpha has found food! Ooh, delicious, delicious FOOD. _

He broke into a run, tongue hanging out. Maybe he would get lucky this time and Alpha would let him eat with him! After all, he can't eat with the intruder. As Omega, the intruder will have to eat last.

Which meant he will get more food! The fact that he ate well for a wild animal didn't register in his food-oriented mind.

Small animals scattered as soon as they felt him approaching, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a squirrel scurry away. No matter. No hunting today, because there's already food available.

As he approached, he picked up more scents. Rabbit blood. The Alpha caught rabbits! But that wasn't all. He could smell the intruder, and the way his scent mixed and mingled with the rabbit's.

He gave a low growl. Nobody. _Nobody _of lower rank was supposed to eat before _him. _The intruder had overstepped his boundaries. Alpha may turn a blind eye, but Timber wasn't about to let some newcomer outrank him.

* * *

"Oh, god."

_[What?] _

"Do you hear that?" Tommy shifted from the lotus position to a more comfortable sitting arrangement.

_[No. What is it?] _

A groan. "Wolf. Coming this way fast."

Snake kept an eye on the fire below the small smokehouse. He always preserved meat whenever he visited his cabin. After all, there is no telling what could happen, be it extreme weather, surprise Cobra attack, or a reason to stay a few days during winter. Dinner will still be the trout he had caught. The rabbits were to be preserved in case of emergencies.

That was probably not what Timber was thinking at the moment.

The leaves of a bush stirred as a gray figure trotted past and continued on its path without so much as a sniff in Snake's direction. The ninja shrugged. For once, food was apparently not on the wolf's mind. He acknowledged Timber's presence with a glance, and redirected his attention to the fire.

Storm resisted the urge to climb up a nearby tree again at the sight of a large timberwolf headed straight for him. Running was surely a sign of submission, and he didn't want that. Besides, with his 'Alpha' so close by, Timber wouldn't dare maul him. Hopefully.

He gave the wolf his best glare as he stood his ground - or sat his ground, for that matter. "Scram!"

Timber jumped onto the flat rock, almost knocking Storm off of it. "No, no, no. This? This here is _my _rock." He pushed back. "Find your own. I got here first."

_[Behave back there, boys,] _Snake signed casually over his shoulder.

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one having his seat stolen." With a final shove, Storm pushed Timber back to the ground. The wolf circled him slowly, growling. "Grrr to you too. You can't order me around."

He heard the quickening of pawsteps too late. A hundred and twenty pounds of muscle and fur slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. As a reflex, Tommy reached for a knife only to stop when he heard low growling and felt hot air on his neck. He didn't need to look to know the wolf's teeth were bared.

So he stayed very, very still. He briefly considered slipping into the Sleeping Phoenix, then decided against it. Timber might decide that he was okay to eat, since he 'died', and he didn't want that at _all. _

He remained perfectly still even when the wolf stood up and his teeth weren't so close to his neck anymore. His chest and shoulder ached a little from the fall, and his already bad impression of Timber was worsening. Although Snake would probably kill him if he found out, Storm couldn't think of anything better at the moment than to turn around and choke the life out of Timber. Oh, yes. Murdering the animal sounded _really _good right now.

Then, he felt it. Tommy blinked. There, he felt it again, along with the sound of quiet snarling. A good ten seconds passed until his mind finally clicked.

Needless to say, his exasperated groan lasted for quite a while. "Snake-Eyes, your wolf is trying to rape me."

Snake-Eyes paused in his poking of the fire as an indication that he had heard him. He turned his face completely away, but Storm still caught the infinitesimal shaking of his shoulders. "Hebi no Me, THIS IS NOT FUNNY. I'm being _humped _to death here!"

_[No, it's not funny; it's hilarious. And humping is not the same thing as raping.] _

"Whatever! Just _get your wolf off of me!_" Storm Shadow was making a very visible effort not to kick the... ah... 'overenthusiastic' Timber.

_[He's showing dominance over you.] _

"Dominance? Over me? Bullshit." Tommy looked at the preoccupied wolf at his leg. "And you. Fuck you."

_[I thought he was already doing that to you.] _

Storm make a strangled-sounding noise. "You have a twisted sense of humor when Shana is not around, brother." He slowly tried to free his leg, only for Timber to expose his teeth again. "How do I escape?"

_[Wow, Tommy. You can escape high-security prisons but you can't escape a mere wolf?] _Snake shook his head, disappointed.

"Do you want a dead wolf or not?"

_[I like my wolves alive, thank you.] _

"That's what I thought. So what's going to happen once I free myself? Will he attack?" Storm stared at Timber calculatingly.

_[Maybe. If he does, just keep yourself higher than him and don't break eye contact.] _Snake added another log to the fire.

"Right. And how close to dead can I make him?"

The silent man's glare was more than answer enough. Oddly, the wolf seemed to bristle at the comment too.

Just what he needed, a sword brother with a claim to being a wolf whisperer. He tensed in preparation, careful to keep his breathing calm. He'd have to figure out just how attentive the canine was to human body language, but for now he wasn't taking unnecessary chances.

With no more warning, Storm thrust his foot against the wolf's ribcage much more gently than he would have liked, sending the beast tumbling back a few steps. The ninja was on his feet in an instant, but his wild adversary was nearly as fast. He charged at the man, snarling.

Timber was insulted! _The intruder wants my place? Let him try. He'll pay for his insubordination._ The wolf lunged, snapping his jaws closed on-

Thin air.

He whirled. The white coward might just as well have turned tail and run. There he was, teeth bared, standing as if he'd won. The wolf's lips would have curled in disgust were he not already snarling. He dropped into a hunting crouch. This human was lower than prey; not even a permitted sport. He turned like a goose's neck, graceful but wary, as Timber began to circle. Their locked eyes never once parted as the hunter made a quarter-circle, then lunged again, sending dirt flying behind his claws.

Two enormous, muddy paws and a slobbery mouth bristling with teeth shot toward the ninja like a very furry missile. He leaned slightly to the side, dodging the wolf a second time. At the last moment, he brought his shoulder up sharply with enough force to crack a grown man's spine. The grey-furred beast went tumbling to the ground with a yelp, and rolled once before coming to a stop.

Storm Shadow had never fought a wolf before, but he was quickly adapting his strategies. The damned thing had the restraint of a two-year-old but the strength of a man, and the non-human shape was throwing off his leverage and accuracy.

Meanwhile, Snake-Eyes removed the two smoked rabbits from the smokehouse and turned to watch the fight with mild interest.

It was ironic how his best human friend and his best animal friend couldn't get along.

* * *

**A/N:** ... What. Have you been around dogs or wolves? They do that as a sign of dominance. Hell, even bunnies do it. It's something Timber is likely to do to Storm, especially if they don't like each other.

Thanks to Greentigerr for her extra help on this chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** *sigh* Okay, this one isn't... as good. I had something funnier originally, but then decided that it was too crack-y, and took it out. Yes, I know that this is a crackfic, but what I originally had was... well... _very _crack-y. Also, the reason the transport plane has a 'room' is because after writing out the near-fight scene between Snake and Storm, I realized that if that happened where everybody was, it would draw A LOT of attention, which was not my intention. So, voila. G.I. Joe plane with a recovering room. Sue me. Grammar, continuity, or other edits/suggestions are encouraged.

* * *

Storm settled comfortably in the corner with a thermal blanket draped across her shoulders. She pulled an earplug out, squished it, and put it back in. It surprised her just how_ nice_Lifeline was when dealing with - ahem - civilian prisoners. Even after he had 'discovered' the tattoo on her arm, he remained calm and gentle, although Storm easily picked up on his increased heart-rate. She had requested earplugs after the medic finished cleaning her wounds, and he got them for her without question. Then again, he probably knew better than to refuse.

She chuckled a little as she tugged on the blanket. It felt so strange referring to herself as female, but if she played her cards right, she would be able to create some really laugh-worthy moments. It was like a prank. A very, very elaborate prank. Snake-Eyes not recognizing her was a bit of a shock, but she couldn't blame him. A grin spread across her face. She would tease him about it later, back at base, and she was going to make it humiliating.

Which reminded her - of course, she'd have to see Doc upon landing for a check-up. Now _there_ was a strange thought. She and Snake usually needed to be dragged, unconscious or conscious, to the infirmary, and usually by a very determined redhead.

Despite the earplugs in her ears, she picked up Snake-Eyes' approaching footsteps easily. Storm forced herself not to smile and adopted the expression of a wary but curious person. "So, you're the masked guy who rescued me." Her eyes narrowed as her sword brother seated himself across from her.

Snake-Eyes held out both hands, fingers spread, palms exposed, in a sign of peace before reaching into one of his numerous pockets and producing a pen and notepad. Storm watched with a sense of interest as Snake's pen flew and dipped in his unique, neat handwriting. A moment later, he tore the note off and offered it to her. Frowning, Storm took it.

"Hello, my Arashikage clan sister," it read. "I am Hebi no Me. You might have heard of me. I'm the _gaijin_ ninja."

She looked up at him. Snake had rolled his sleeve back just enough to reveal his_ ji-ji_ tattoo. Whether it was an act of reassurance or proof, Storm did not know. "Hebi no Me. Snake-Eyes. Yeah, I've heard of you. Every Arashikage ninja has."

By the time the last word left her mouth, Snake was off and writing. "'Every Arashikage ninja'? The clan is still there? Is it doing okay? Where did you come from?"

Storm read the piece of paper with a sigh. "No, the clan isn't whole any more than when you left, and those who still call themselves Arashikage are all but scattered in the winds. I came alone."

Snake's shoulders slumped, and his pentip didn't touch the notepad for a considerable amount of time. This time, there was a lot of scribbling out and rewriting parts of the note. The commando finally settled with,"I'm just glad to see you safe. I haven't seen any new members of our clan in a while."

Storm watched her brother, amused. Snake had never been very good with girls, a fact Storm used to tease him mercilessly about. While they were in their teens, Storm used to purposely push a panicked Snake towards a group of particularly nice-looking girls and record the entire incident with a videocamera. If he hadn't lost his voice, he would be stuttering and tripping over his words now, Storm was sure.

Oh, that reminded her. "Why are you writing, Hebi no Me? Have you lost your voice?"

Only one word was on the next note, short and tart. "Yes."

Snake watched as the woman nodded once, and silently breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't ask for more information. He tilted his head slightly, looking at her. Another member of the Arashikage! And alive, too. The news lifted his spirit a little, and he couldn't help but wonder what Tommy would think. _She probably wouldn't be happy to see him,_ he decided. His brother might have cleared his name to him and Kimi, but not to the remaining members of the Arashikage. To them, he was still the Hard Master's murderer.

There was still a lot for them to discuss.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when movement caught his eye. The woman muttered something under her breath as she twisted her hair into one long, thick rope of black. "So, Snake-Eyes. Have you found the Young Master?"

The question caught him off-guard, she could tell. The muscles in his shoulders tensed, and he fumbled for his notepad and pen. "No. I still haven't found him," he wrote.

Her eyebrows rose. "Then how come your medic said, 'our semi-friendly resident _ninjas_'?"

His answer was quick. "Like I said. I haven't seen any new members. There's another Arashikage with me, not Young Master."

"Who?"

He held up the next note. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

Storm twiddled her fingers in an effort to keep from laughing. Although he was silent, Snake-Eyes was easy to read. Well, to her, anyways. And maybe Scarlett. There was a general uneasiness in Snake's movements, and he was scribbling out his words more. _Guess being mute doesn't stop him from acting awkward around pretty girls,_ Storm mused, careful to hide her smirk.

"You are looking for Young Master, are you not? You think he's been captured."

Snake froze for a millisecond. How did...? Suddenly, he lunged at her, pinning her to the wall, and had a knife to her throat in a heartbeat. Despite the threat of death, the woman clucked her tongue and wagged her finger at the ninja disapprovingly. "Foolish move, brother," she purred. He very distinctly felt the sharp edge of a dagger pressing against the back of his neck. "You're getting slow if I can slip a weapon from your belt and get it to your neck in the time it takes you to do the latter."

His knife dug just a little more against her skin. Talk, or die.

The blade on his neck suddenly turned cool. She had sliced through his uniform. "You know, if Scarlett walked in right now, you'll be in a lot of trouble."

That... could be true, he noted. But Scarlett was more reasonable than that, and the fact that they were literally at each other's throats might alert her that something was wrong.

"You know, I would like to talk, but it's a little hard to right now."

A thin red line appeared on her neck. _You seem to be managing just fine_, Snake thought. He felt a pinch of pain at the back of his own neck.

The woman pressed a little against the wall. "Kill me if you have to," she said casually. "But if you do, you'll never find Storm Shadow."

Snake questioned her thinking in his silence. Various Cobra agents had said the same thing, only to be executed seconds later.

Her answer was the last combination of words he would have expected. "Because _I'm_ Storm Shadow."

Taking advantage of his hesitation, she twisted her pinned arm free and slapped the knife from Snake's hand. The weapon clattered to the ground, and she dove after it. When she straightened, now with two bladed weapons, she found herself staring straight down the barrel of Snake's Uzi. "I think it would be preferable that I tell you everything, brother, with as little bloodshed as possible. I've lost too much blood by your hands, and vice versa. Don't you agree?" She casually leaned against the interior of the plane.

Snake lifted his other hand. _[Prove it.]_

"Do I have to recall memories?"

_[That's not enough proof. Mindbender can easily extract a few memories from Tommy and inform you on them, Zarana.]_

Storm frowned. "Don't call me Zarana. I've always hated that bitch. And you know firsthand that the Brainwave Scanner is better at suppressing memories then extracting them. If you can resist memory extraction, what makes you think that I can't? Am I really so weak in your eyes?"

The Uzi didn't move._ [Put the knives down, and we'll talk.]_

With flourish, she twirled the knives and slipped them back in their respective places. "Alright. If you want, I can provide a DNA sample, although I'm not sure how messed up it will be, considering my... current state." She stared at her slender hands thoughtfully. "Doc can test my hearing, and I can answer any question you ask me."

Slowly, Snake lowered his gun. _[Alright. Start talking.]_

"No questions? Okay, but this will take some time." Storm sat down and wrapped herself in the thermal blanket again. "You showed up at the Arashikage when you were six. How you managed to find us when so many ninja clans can't, I don't know. Your sense of direction must have been_ really_ broken, now that I think about it. Anyways, I found you in the kitchen, and attacked you..."

Somehow, as he listened, Snake's body relaxed while his mind slowly began to panic.

* * *

The ache in her neck woke Scarlett up. Groaning and rubbing her eyes, she sat up and cracked her back. Strange. She'd never had any trouble falling asleep on Snake-Eyes. Muscles, when relaxed, made a relatively comfortable pillow. They had always taken turns sleeping. She would sleep in his arms or on his shoulder, and he would sleep in her lap. "Since when did you become uncomfortable to sleep on, Snake?" she asked before yawning.

The silence she always expected from him was broken by feminine laughing. "Snake isn't here, Red. You fell asleep on _me_," a voice she recognized as Lady Jaye's said.

"What?" Scarlett blinked rapidly in an effort to clear her vision. "Snake didn't come back?"

"No, he hasn't." Her friend winced as she rotated her shoulder. "You sleep like a rock, you know. I couldn't move for hours."

"Where is he?" she demanded, ignoring the comment. "Is he still with the kunoichi?"

"Yes." Lady Jaye's eyebrows rose.

"After several hours?"

"Hey - they're probably catching up on ninja news, and it takes Snake a while to write, you know."

"And you didn't think to check on them?" Her voice rose.

"As you may recall, you were asleep on me. I _couldn't_ move. Besides, Snake can... Hey. Wait. Where are you going?"

Scarlett walked rapidly towards where Snake and the prisoner were. Once there, she curled her fingers around the handle while her other hand gripped her pistol. She paused, straining her ears in an effort to listen. All she heard was female murmuring with the occasional pause in between. Her shoulders slumped a little and she exhaled slowly in relief. Snake was conscious, and had his hands free. At least she didn't have to worry about walking in on him poisoned or - worse - dead. Not that he was easy to kill, of course.

The door slid open, and suddenly, the mumbling became clear, coherent words. "... And you screamed like a _girl_. It was so funny! You, scared of a little-" The woman's words were cut off as a black-gloved hand slapped over her mouth. Still, she kept talking, although her voice was muffled. Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

"What's going on?" Scarlett demanded. "What are you talking about?" Her eyes suddenly widened. "And... when did you hear Snake _scream?_"

Snake got up quickly and grabbed her arm, dragging her out the room before sliding the door closed behind them. _[Scarlett.]_ His hands shook a little as he signed her name.

She grabbed his wrists, concern obvious on her face. He looked really shaken up. "What's wrong, Snake? What's happened?"

_[Scarlett, cancel the search for my brother. Or sister, as the case may be.]_

* * *

The 'video camera' part is a small spoiler for my other story, "Arashikage Home Videos." Thanks to Greentigerr for editing. Why Snake is mentally panicking and some more interaction in the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Storm woke up, muttered a few curse words, and pulled the blanket over his ears. He had just been in the middle of a rather relaxing dream when that damned wolf just _had to _open its mouth and howl.

Snake was still asleep, his breathing soft and slow. Of course he didn't hear the wolf - he didn't possess the Ear that Sees. Squeezing his eyes shut, Storm cupped his hands over his ears and tried to fall back asleep.

Another long, mournful howl. Storm ground his teeth together silently and eyed his folded uniform in the corner of the room. After a second of contemplation, he pulled back the blankets as quietly as he could and slowly sat up, not wishing to disturb his brother.

No luck. Snake-Eyes lifted his head and turned around, blinking sleepily.

"Earplugs," Tommy whispered, pointing to his ears in emphasis.

Content with his brother's answer, the blond rolled back over and closed his eyes. Storm glanced at him before walking over to his uniform and digging into one of its numerous pockets. His fingers found something smooth and squishy, and he smiled in triumph. Removing the package, he tore through the small plastic bag and shook two orange-colored, industrial-strength earplugs into his hand.

The wolf howled again. Now fully awake and alert, Storm Shadow tilted his head and frowned. Wasn't there supposed to be more than just _one _wolf howling? Howling was a form of communication; howling alone with no responses or accompaniment was like talking to a wall.

Years of training had taught Tommy to be suspicious of everything, and a lone wolf was pretty suspicious. Any wolf packs that lived the area must be quite some ways away, if they couldn't hear the single wolf's howls. But then why would it continue howling if it got no response?

... Single wolf. He only knew one lone wolf in the area.

Closing his eyes, Storm listened carefully, but couldn't hear Timber's heartbeat anywhere. Strange. Usually the wolf was somewhere nearby.

He snuck a glance at his resting brother. Timber was Snake's responsibility - he was, after all, his pet - but waking the ninja up and saying, "I think there's something wrong with your wolf. Can you go out and check on him while I stay in this warm cabin?" was just rude.

Snake-Eyes raised his head again at the sound of rustling clothes and sat up. The moonlight reflected off of Tommy's white uniform, making him stand out clearly against the darkness. After snapping his fingers to get the Japanese man's attention, Snake held his hand up. _[Tommy?] _

"I'm going out. You go back to sleep. I should be back by dawn." Storm slid his gloves and mask on. His face, neck, and hands warmed almost instantly. "If I'm not, come and get me."

Snake nodded once and watched him disappear out the door before going back to sleep.

It was much colder outside than it was inside the cabin. The coldness seeped through Storm's clothes and stuck to his skin. Exhaling slowly, he waited - until he heard the howl again. _Gotcha_, he thought as he headed in the sound's direction. As he stepped into the woods, he drew a small dagger and made a small, thin, straight cut on a nearby tree.

* * *

Timber continued howling, his confusion growing by the minute. Why was Alpha not coming? Did he not hear him? Maybe if he was a little louder...

He paused in his howling to test the walls of his surroundings again. They hadn't changed. Paws scrabbling, he dug furiously at the walls, but all he managed to do was create a small indent. Giving up, he paced in a restless circle. There was no food or water down here. How was he to live? Oh, the mean, teethy things had really managed to trap him this time. He wasn't even aware that they could make a hole as big as this!

Whimpering, he laid down and rested his head between his paws. He couldn't get out, and Alpha didn't hear his calls. He was stuck, and tired.

He might have fallen asleep at some point, because he was suddenly jolted awake by the sound of...

Timber raised his head, ears perked. Two heavy paws... Two, two, two... Only humans had two paws. Wait - not paws... feet!

Springing to his paws, Timber began barking with enthusiasm. Someone has come! He sincerely hoped they had meat with them, but he didn't smell any meat...

Instead, he smelled...

He immediately stopped barking. The intruder! He smelled the intruder! This was not good. Intruder was not good. He constantly challenges Alpha but Alpha doesn't do anything about it.

Timber did not want the intruder to find him.

Nearby, Storm Shadow made yet another slit on a tree as he continued on his way. He had almost thought he'd lost the wolf when the beast stopped howling and fell silent. But the short barking session had helped pinpoint his location.

Looking around, Tommy clucked his tongue in disappointment. The area was filled with hunting traps, many of them barely concealed. Amateurs. Most animals weren't stupid enough to step into something as conspicuous and easy to see as those traps.

A soft growl from his right caught his attention, emerging from a pitfall. Walking over, Storm could see broken twigs and leaves. At least this trap had been decently disguised.

He carefully peered over the edge, and the growl grew in volume. "Timber?" Storm stared at the trapped timber wolf at the bottom of the pit.

Timber showed him his teeth.

"Yep. It's you, alright." Grinning, Tommy sat down at the edge. "Not so tough now, are ya, big guy?"

Irritated, Timber flicked one of his ears. It was no use trying to scare the intruder away. He was outside and he was... in... here. How he wished Alpha were here!

"You know," the man continued, "for a ninja's pet, you aren't very good at avoiding traps. What if this was a Cobra trap and Snake was here? You would've contributed to his capture, and that's not good."

Timber barked at him.

"Bad wolf. Very bad wolf, not watching where you're stepping," Storm scolded, enjoying the situation before him. "You should have known better."

A snarl on his lips, Timber stared up at the intruder. What was he _doing? _Was he there to help him out or not? If he wasn't, Timber was going to have to resume his howling until his beloved Alpha came.

"You know..." Tommy looked thoughtful. "If I leave you right here, I won't have to deal with you until when I have to leave. On the other hand, if I help you get out, then _maybe _you'll finally stop giving me dirty looks."

The wolf started to whine, impatient to get away from the trap he was in.

"Whaddya say, buddy?" Standing up, Storm looked around and was pleased to see a sturdy branch more or less over the pit. "Want to get out?" Not waiting for an answer, he unbuckled his utility belt and set it on the ground nearby. Intrigued by the human's actions, Timber quieted and stared at him.

Pulling back his outer-coat, Tommy unbuckled another belt underneath and pulled it out. The wolf blinked, confused. Alpha only did that when he was getting ready to get on that big, squishy rock he always slept on. But there was no big squishy rock anywhere near here.

"I'm not stripping, if that's what you're wondering." With deft fingers, Storm untied the small knot near the buckle and gave the end a hard yank. Fifty feet of white paracord came undone in his hands. Setting the pile of rope aside, he dug through a small pack on his back and pulled out a foldable grappling hook. A push of a button, and it extended with a soft _click. _

Timber jumped, yelping in surprise, when the grappling hook suddenly appeared on the branch above. He stared for a few seconds of dumbfounded silence then promptly started growling at it with all his might. "You never quit, do you," Tommy sighed as he tied one end of the paracord to a small weighted dart and tossed it through the grappling hook. He didn't want to wear the paracord out on the branch.

While the wolf was busy growling at and pawing the dart, Storm tied the other end of the paracord to a tree and slid down into the pit. Suddenly aware of the ninja behind him, Timber whipped around and continued growling, teeth exposed and ears pointing back.

"Easy... easy..." Tommy whispered as he squatted to look less intimidating. "I am not here to harm you." Careful not to make direct eye contact, he slowly pulled a glove off. "Listen, Timber - the sooner I get you out, the sooner I can go back to the cabin, and the sooner I get back to the cabin, the sooner Snake-Eyes can cancel his search for me at dawn. I _really _don't want my brother thinking that I got lost, so... truce?" He offered his hand, palm upwards.

At the familiar sound of, 'Snake-Eyes,' Timber's ears swiveled forward. Looking at the extended hand warily, he took a step forward and sniffed it. There was no reason for the intruder to purposely trap himself here... unless he wanted to challenge him. But the human wasn't making any challenging gestures. Then again, humans were unpredictable. But he had said Alpha's name. Maybe... Alpha sent him?

Did he trust the intruder? No. Did he trust Alpha? Yes. Does Alpha trust the intruder? Well, he _does _have his scent all over him...

Alpha knows best. Alpha wouldn't have this intruder around for no good reason. Therefore, intruder must be useful somehow.

Storm's eyebrows rose when the wolf's tongue darted out to lick his fingers. "That was fast." He cautiously stroked Timber's head. "Alright. On to business."

After picking up the dart, he took the paracord and began fashioning a harness, looping the rope and tossing it through the grappling hook overhead several times for more strength and comfort. "Okay, buddy," he said once he was finished. "C'mere." He beckoned.

Somewhat reluctantly, Timber walked over to him. Gently, as if afraid of startling the wolf, Tommy nudged a paw up and placed it through a loop. Then the next paw. It took a bit of coaxing to get the makeshift harness over Timber's head and under his belly, but he managed.

Finished, Storm Shadow stepped back and double-checked everything. "Looks nice. Stay calm. I'll be right back. " Whipping out a pair of _kunai _knives, he dug a blade deep into the pitfall wall and gave it a test pull. It was secure.

Timber whined as he watched the white ninja climb. Where was he going? Wasn't he going to stay and help him out? His whines turned more pathetic when Tommy disappeared from view but stopped when the man looked back into the pit. "You ready?"

There was a yank, and the wolf suddenly found himself airborne. Utterly confounded by the lack of solid ground beneath his paws, he moved his legs back and forth in a broken sort of run. He was flying!

Bracing himself, Storm continued pulling Timber out of the pit. As soon as the wolf's paws touched dirt near the top, he started scrambling at the edge, kicking dirt and twigs up. "Shhhh... Not yet. Not yet..." Tommy muttered as he gave one final pull, and Timber was out of the pit.

Excited, the wolf tried to run. Freedom! He was finally free! But the ninja grabbed him by his scruff and lifted him up; his two front paws waved uselessly in the air and his back paws pushed futilely against the ground.

"Wait a moment. I need my rope back." Still holding the wolf up, Storm took the harness off of his chest and body. "There you go." He set him back down.

Immediately, Timber shot off into the woods.

"You're _welcome, _you ungrateful mutt," Storm called out after him as he dislodged his grappling hook from the tree and folded his paracord. He was going to have to weave it back into a belt when he returned to the cabin.

After folding the grappling hook, he looked around and frowned. Where was his utility belt? He could've sworn it was right there...

A short bark caught his attention. He looked; Timber was standing about twenty feet away, holding something white and long in his mouth...

"Hey, _no_. No. That's not a toy, Timber - that's my _belt_. Drop it."

Timber watched the man carefully approach. He blinked... and took off, belt dangling from his jaws.

"Goddammit, Timber!" Storm Shadow ran after him.

* * *

Dawn.

Eyes still closed, Snake-Eyes felt the cold, unoccupied pillow next to him and sighed. Looks like his brother got lost, or hurt. Most likely lost, since he was unfamiliar with these woods.

Getting up, he did a quick stretch and reached for his mask. But as soon as his fingers touched the black fabric, he heard-

A small smile spread across his lips. He could hear the familiar paw-steps and panting of his best animal friend followed closely by the cursing voice of his best human friend.

"Drop it, Timber! DROP. IT. NOW."

As the sounds approached closer and closer, Snake walked over to the door and opened it; one timber wolf and one irritated ninja ran into the cabin. Timber's tail wagged furiously as he ran around the interior, keeping what appeared to be Tommy's utility belt out of the man's reach.

Snake-Eyes snapped his fingers. Timber stopped and looked at him, panting happily. When Snake patted the side of his leg, the wolf walked over to him and deposited the drool-covered belt in his hand. _[I'm assuming this belongs to you,] _he signed as he held the belt out.

Storm snatched it from him. "How did you know, genius?" he grumbled as he inspected it. Timber thankfully did not drag any part on the ground, so the belt was still in good condition save for the drool and teethmarks.

_[What happened? I was about to go out and look for you.]_

"Your oh-so-skilled wolf decided that it would be fun to fall into a pitfall trap and wake up the nearest guy with the Ear that Sees by howling his head off." Storm sat down on the bed, removed the bundle of paracord looped around his shoulder, and started to weave it back into a belt. "Then afterwards, he ran off with his savior's belt."

Snake placed a hand on his brother's shoulder. _[Thank you for saving him. I appreciate it.]_

Tommy shrugged, but Snake could see a slight smile on his face. "Someone needed to do it, and I preferred it not to be you." He looked at the sitting wolf. "I also hoped that if I helped him, he would finally stop growling at me."

_[He will, I'm sure of it.] _Snake lifted his hand. _[What do you want for breakfast? Eggs? Toast? Tea?]_

"All of the above, please."

Amused, Snake nodded and headed for the small kitchen. Along the way, he passed by Timber, who got to his feet and looked expectantly at his master. The ninja merely stroked his head before continuing on his way.

Storm collapsed on the bed, mumbling in contentment. He had only had a few hours of sleep, and a quick snooze didn't seem like a bad idea. Closing his eyes, he began to drift off to sleep.

He didn't notice Timber until it was too late. The wolf did, after all, wander around the cabin as he pleased, but Tommy's mind somehow decided not to process the observation that the animal was heading in his direction.

A big, wet, warm tongue slid across his face. Repeatedly.

Tommy's eyes flew open. He tried to lift his head, but found that he couldn't. One of Timber's large front paws was in his hair, holding him down while he continued his assault of affection.

"SNAKE-EYEEES!" Storm called out, only for Timber's tongue to accidentally swipe across his lips. He wiped his mouth, disgusted. "Snake-Eyes, your wolf is trying to drown me in his drool! GODDAMMIT, SNAKE! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!"

In the kitchen, Snake's shoulders shook in silent laughter as he poured boiling water into a teapot.

* * *

**A/N: **... Yeah. Story is done. ^-^


End file.
